The Gown Student Newspaper at Queen's University Belfast

FEATURE: The annual South Belfast house hunt is on

We are now approaching the end of the academic year, and our attention is turning to where we are going to live next year. The horror stories have started circulating about vicious landlords, inadequate houses, extortionate prices and the need to act fast. With all that in mind we gather up the people we want to live with, whether it be old friends, people from our course or people we have met through student accommodation. Together we set off and begin the hunt.

 BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

This can be a very stressful process, but it really doesn’t have to be, and if you approach it in a systematic manner you will realise that it is a trial and error process. No-one is an expert in this and it is a learning curve for everyone, that is why it is essential to ask the right questions.

The panic begins when you think that there are not enough houses available and you convince yourself you are working against the clock. This is not true. There are always enough houses, but the sooner you get looking the sooner everything will be sorted out and you can relax. Not to mention that fact that the quicker you start the hunt, the more likely you are to get a house you are happy with.

 As there is such a wide range available,  it is important not to settle for the first house you see, have a look around and find out which houses fit your criteria and price range.

Based on my experience of house hunting, here are my top 5 tips to finding a house that is right for you:

1. Make sure everyone is completely certain that they are moving in, and that they are all available to view the houses.
2. Have a list of questions ready to ask the estate agent or landlord who shows you around the house (for example, how the house is heated).
3. Don’t give a deposit or sign anything until you are certain that this is the house you want. Not only whether it suits your price range, but if it fits all your needs.
4. Look out for problem areas such as the smell of damp or poor heating. Find out why the people before are leaving, and if the house has not been inhabited for a while. There may be important reasons for either of these.
5. Finally, enjoy this process, find a fantastic house that you will have fu living in for the years ahead. Don’t forget: once the contract is signed, there is no going back.

Tags: Claire Williamson, Gown, newspaper, qub, Queen's, queen's university, student, The Gown

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 8:11 pm and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.